Failure does not define the person; it is how the person deals with, and learns from, failure that defines the person.  Life rewards perseverance.   

Of failure, Michael Jordan says, “I've failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” 

Thomas Edison was also a firm believer in the importance of failure; it was what led him to success. While working on developing a better battery, a discouraged assistant suggested to Mr. Edison that he must be ready to quit after performing some 50,000 unsuccessful tests.  

Edison replied, “We've made a lot of progress. At least we know 50,000 things that won't work!”  Edison later developed a nickel-iron alkaline battery, still used today—more than 90 years later!  Imagine if Edison didn’t learn from his failures.

The WASL
Like Jordan and Edison, the Legislature must learn from its failures with the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) test, and so must Washington’s students.   

The purpose of the WASL is for the state to determine students’ academic achievement.  Students meeting the state standard in math, reading and writing receive a Certificate of Academic Achievement, required by the Class of 2008 to earn a high school diploma. 

Sidestepping these standards would be a mistake, for the Legislature and for students.  The WASL is not perfect, but it is the best tool we currently have to determine student achievement.  While the Legislature works with educators to improve the test and develop reasonable expectations, we must send a positive message to our students, “You can do it, and we are here to help.” 

As the great Benjamin Franklin often said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.”  We should encourage our students to live by this often-used motto. 

Unfortunately, there is a proposal in the Legislature, Senate Bill 5638, that I believe lowers academic expectations.   

The alternative test
The Senate proposal leaves creation of the alternative test up to the education community.  The alternative test shouldn’t be a lower standard, but an alternative way to meet the standard.  The creation of the test should include educators, the business community and, to provide accountability, the Legislature for the possibility of overall scrutiny and approval. 

The proposal also allows students to take the alternative test after failing the WASL only once.  Currently, students must take the WASL twice before taking the alternative.  For students who fail the WASL the first time, there is no need to immediately bypass a second attempt with the alternative.   

Evidence from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) shows dramatic improvement for all groups -- including ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, and those with limited English proficiencies -- on the first retest and further improvement on the second retest.  Washington should not allow students to give up after only one failed WASL, denying them the opportunity to pass the same test passed by their peers. 

And finally, the measure creates a pass-fail system in which the level of student achievement will not be recorded.  I believe that lumping all students into two achievement categories, pass and fail, does nothing to clearly indicate to the state the level of academic achievement by our students.  Pass-fail leaves little incentive for students to strive for A-level results when C-level results would suffice. 

Without failure, there is no success and accomplishment
As the Legislature works to improve the WASL, we must keep in mind that failure is part of success.  There will be bumps along the way.  If we take the lessons of Michael Jordan and Thomas Edison to heart, ultimately, our students will taste the sweetness of hard-earned success. 

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